The use of lapped siding, i.e., vinyl, aluminum, etc., on buildings increases the difficulty of mounting electrical fixtures such as light fixtures, electrical outlets and the like to the sides of buildings. A product was developed which provided a mounting surface for the electrical fixture and was easily integrated into siding. This device is disclosed in Vagedes et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,726,152. This is mounted to the side of a building with or without the use of an electrical box. The problem with this mounting block and similar blocks is that it is not fire resistant. To be fire resistant, a mounting block must be made from a fire resistant plastic and further there must be an electric box attached to the rear surface of a mounting block. Generally mounting blocks are not deep enough for a standard electric box.
Making the mounting block itself fire resistant significantly increases the cost of the product. One attempted solution to this problem is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,359,220 which uses a mounting block that has an electrical box that snap fits into the opening. The electrical box made from fire resistant material is attached directly to the electrical fixture. In order to facilitate electrical wires and electrical outlets, the box needs to be significantly deeper making the mounting block somewhat unsightly.
Plastic mounting blocks generally match the color of the siding. Siding comes in a wide variety of colors. Thus, stocking mounting blocks which match all siding colors is very expensive. Further, fire resistant material is not available in all colors.
Another issue is mounting of electrical fixtures either lights or outlets. Both of these are attached with two screws. But, the screw hole spacing for outlets is not the same as the spacing for light fixtures.
The present invention is premised on the realization that a fire resistant mounting structure for an exterior electrical fixture can be formed from a mounting block having a flange, a front wall and four side walls. A standard opening is provided in the front wall. The interior of the mounting block holds a separate fire resistant electric box that has an opening substantially larger than the opening on the front surface of the mounting block. Interposed between the electric box and the mounting block is a separate fire resistant plate which restricts the opening on the electric box making it correspond in size to the opening in the mounting block. The interposed plate and the electric box are formed from fire resistant material. This combined structure is fire resistant. At the same time this provides more than adequate room for electrical wiring and/or an electrical outlet. The electric box can include four supports that extend from each corner. These supports locate the box and plate in the mounting block.
Preferably the structure includes a peripheral ring that snaps on to conceal the cut edges of siding.
Further, in a preferred embodiment, the structure includes a plate which mounts onto the front surface and covers the front surface as well as the peripheral ring. If the plate is metal, it makes the mounting appear to be metal such as brass or the like. Plastic plates can be used to match the color of the siding. Thus, only one color mounting block is required and less expensive cover plates can be used to match the siding color. Alternatively, the entire block can be formed from fire resistant material, generally in white. This eliminates the need for a plate on the electrical box. The color can be changed by use of a colored cover either with or without a ring. The cover does not need to be fire resistant.
Preferably, the electrical box includes two sets of holes. The first set is adapted to accept an outlet. The second set, fixed diagonally, accepts a light fixture.
The objects and advantages of the present invention will be further appreciated in light of the following detailed description and drawings in which: